Aghamore hold all the aces against Gaels
Mayo Gaels wing-back Andrew Quinn is pursued by Aghamore defender Conall Breslin during last Satirday's senior championship clash in Mayo Abbey. Pictures: Pauline Flatley
Mayo struck four two-pointers to Kerry’s one in last month’s All-Ireland’s SFC final and we all know how that ended. Mayo Gaels struck four two-pointers to Aghamore’s one in Saturday’s senior championship opener and never even came close to winning.
This season’s Division 2 champions were someway off the pace and probably fortunate not to lose by more than nine points, as Aghamore left a lot of scores behind during a first-half that still ended with them five points to the good.
Mayo Gaels goalkeeper Nathan McGurrin had made early saves from dual stars David Kenny and Liam Lavin, as the visitors scored just two points from their first ten scoring attempts.
Fergal Boland was responsible for the first three of Aghamore’s seven first-half wides and while the Mayo panellist did tie the game at 0-2 apiece in the ninth minute, an Ethan Henry two pointer and a single by Andrew Quinn had the home side 0-5 to 0-2 ahead after 17 minutes.
The game, however, totally turned on the back of Aghamore’s increasing dominance of the midfield area and specifically, because of a goal and three points contribution by corner-forward Liam Lavin between the 18th and 23rd minutes. Lavin’s points came from play and his goal came from a penalty awarded when the marauding Boland was tripped by Mayo Gaels corner-back Alan Brennan.
Brennan received a black card and during his absence Derry Óg Cox struck his second and third points of the half while Boland and young Cillian Mooney were also on target, to leave Aghamore 1-9 to 0-5 in front after 28 minutes.
Padraig Jennings did have a brief sight of the Aghamore goal but some excellent defending by Conall Breslin helped to avert the danger.
Peter Gallagher, whose brother John had kicked Mayo Gaels’ opening two points, did fire over a two pointer on the stroke of half-time, however, that was negated by Fergal Boland within seconds of the restart, with a 34th minute Liam Lavin point extending the away side’s lead to eight.
The hosts sprang Jack Fallon and David Quinn in an effort to stem the tide and did enjoy their best period of the game when Peter Gallagher, a free, Ronan Commons, David Quinn and John Gallagher, a free, raised four white flags in a five minute window, however, a Fergal Boland point at the other end was buttressed by a second Aghamore goal, as Boland first-timed the ball across to Cillian Mooney in much the same way as David McBrien did to Darragh Beirne for Mayo against Kerry, and the result was the same as Mooney fired beyond the reach of McGurrin.
Another Boland point and one by corner-back Conal Breslin pushed the gap out to ten points, 2-15 to 0-11, after 44 minutes, with team captain Conor Hunt a hugely influential presence at centre-back for the side managed and coached this year by the Hickey brothers, Paul and John.
That gap was maintained when two point scores by Quinn and Fallon were replied to by Aghamore singles from Tom O’Flaherty, Fergal Boland (his seventh point of the game), substitute Ross Egan and Liam Lavin, leaving the result a foregone conclusion entering the final five minutes.
It would have got even worse for Mayo Gaels if Conall Breslin’s shot for a goal hadn’t flashed just wide of the far left corner.
The hardworking wing-back Andrew Quinn did pick off his second point for Gaels who also had Adam Gallagher kick his first and only point, however, the final say, in a scoring sense, lay with Brendan Harrison. The former All-Star was a superb link between Aghamore’s defence and attack all game and ploughed through to strike a richly deserved point that wrapped up an impressive display by the men in white and red.
Scorers – Aghamore: Liam Lavin 1-0-5, Fergal Boland 0-1-5, Cillian Mooney 1-0-1, Derry Óg Cox 0-0-3, Tom O’Flaherty, Conall Breslin, Ross Egan and Brendan Harrison 0-0-1 each.
Mayo Gaels: Peter Gallagher (1f) and David Quinn 0-1-1 each, John Gallagher 0-0-3 (2f), Ethan Henry and Jack Fallon 0-1-0 each, Andrew Gallagher 0-0-2, Adam Gallagher and Ronan Commons 0-0-1 each.
Mayo Gaels: Nathan McGurrin; Alan Brennan, Ruairi Keane, Myles Durkan; Liam Hughes, Ryan McGurrin, Andrew Quinn; Adam Gallagher, John Gallagher; Dara Patten, Kevin Lynch, Ethan Henry; Padraig Jennings, Peter Gallagher, Ronan Commons. Subs: Jack Fallon (for Jennings 26), David Quinn (for Durkan ht), Keelan McNamara (for Lynch 47), John Finn (for R McGurrin 49), Conor Burke (for P Gallagher 53).
Aghamore: Darragh Hunt; Conal Hession, Justin Kelly, Conall Breslin; James Lyons, Conor Hunt, Brendan Harrison; Sean Og Tighe, David Kenny; Michael McNieve, Tom O’Flaherty, Fergal Boland; Cillian Mooney, Derry Óg Cox, Liam Lavin. Subs: Oisin Greally (for Lyons 47), Jack O’Connor (for McNieve 49), Ross Egan (for Mooney 50), Keith Cassidy (for Cox 55).
REF: Vincent Neary (Bonniconlon)
